Community Family Services

DEPARTMENT FUNCTIONS/PROGRAMS SERVICES

The Programs and Services listed below are grant-funded and eligibility is subject to funding availability.


A. CHILD WELFARE SERVICES

  1. Child Welfare Assistance: Protective and rehabilitative services for Indian children at risk of abuse/neglect.
  2. Family and Community Services: Provide case management, Community and Family Services to Tribal members/Native Americans children and families at risk of family violence and/or child abuse/neglect including early intervention, treatment, case management, referral to services, parent training and education, and social assessments.
  3. Indian Child Welfare Act Services: Provide case management and advocacy services for Smith River Rancheria children who are victims of abuse/neglect and in state custody. The goal of the program is to provide court advocacy for Indian children and their families and ensure that the Indian Child Welfare Act is complied with by the state.
  4. Child Protective Services (CPS): Provide a range of CPS services to Tribal member/Native American families/children at risk of abuse/neglect including, but not limited to, social and environmental assessments, direct and indirect services, foster care training, licensing, and coordination, treatment of abused/neglected children, case planning and management, and other appropriate services.
  5. Foster Care Certification, Recruitment and Training: Provide foster care certification, recruitment and training in order to recruit and retain Native American foster and relative homes for children in care of the state.
B. SMITH RIVER FAMILY ASSISTANCE
  1. General Assistance: Provides temporary assistance to Tribal members/Native Americans to promote personal and family unity and economic and social stability while working toward employment and self sufficiency, and provide burial assistance on request.
C. PREVENTION SERVICES
  1. Alcohol/Substance Abuse Education and Prevention: Through Tribal initiatives, promote a healthy, drug free life style for Tribal members/Native American families, and develop and administer programs to that end.
  2. Child Abuse/Neglect Prevention Services: Maintain a comprehensive Tribal member/Native American family support, mediation, and preservation program. These programs will include, but will not be limited to, training, early intervention, and case management.
  3. Alcohol/Substance Abuse Initiatives: Coordinate implementation of alcohol/substance abuse initiatives for Tribal members/Native Americans with other Tribal, state, county, private, and federal agencies and institutions to assess and treat individuals and families where substance abuse is an issue.
  4. Family Violence Prevention Services: Assists people who are ?at- risk? including direct services for the prevention or treatment of family violence. This may include case management, housing in a safe setting, helping such victims to gain access to civil and criminal courts and other community services, facilitating the efforts of such victims to make decisions concerning their lives in the interest of safety, and assisting such victims in healing from the effects of the violence.

D. COMMUNITY AND FAMILY OUTREACH
  1. Senior Nutrition: Supplement the nutritional and socialization needs of Native American elders/handicapped and Administration on Aging (AOA) eligible clients in rural in the Smith River Rancheria service area. Provide well balanced meals 4 days a week in our congregate setting as well as in-home for those clients unable to come to attend.
  2. Transportation: Based on request for service and space availability, provide public transportation services to Tribal members/Native Americans and non-Native American senior/handicapped residing of The Smith River Rancheria service area, and with priority is granted for medical transport. This program coordinates services with other local public transportation providers.
  3. Elder Outreach: Assist Tribal/Native American elders/handicapped in accessing county, state, federal, and other Tribal programs and services that they are otherwise eligible for. Such assistance includes, but is not limited to, home visitations, transportation services, cultural/recreation coordination and organization, and various other socialization programs. This program also provides senior referral and counseling services within the Tribes and with outside agencies and institutions.
  4. Supplemental Community Services Programs: Based on funds available, provide assistance to eligible Tribal members/Native Americans such as, but not limited to, obtaining necessary clothing and household items, providing elders with wood and emergency assistance, providing holiday food baskets.
  5. Child Care: Provide financial assistance to eligible Native Americans to offset work or school related child care cost. Provide center based child care at the Howonquet Child Care Center.
  6. Howonquet Head Start: Provide early intervention and education services for children 3-5 years of age in a center based program. The purpose is to promote school readiness by enhancing the social and cognitive development of low income children through the delivery of health, educational, nutritional, social and other services based on a family needs assessment.

E. EDUCATION
  1. Higher Education: Provide financial assistance awards to eligible Tribal members who are seeking higher education at an accredited college or university. Such awards are intended to be a secondary source. Students must first seek financial aid from traditional sources. This information is documented and should reflect an unmet financial need to be eligible for Tribal assistance. Students must be at least 18 years old and have a high school diploma or General Equivalency Diploma (GED).
  2. Adult Basic Education (ABE): Provide assistance to Tribal members/Native Americans who seek to develop or enhance their academic, employment, cultural and life skills. Fund or provide developmental courses; dependent on funding availability.
  3. Adult Vocational Training (AVT): Provide financial assistance for approved training programs to eligible Tribal members/Native Americans with limited employment skills. Students must be at least 18 years old, have a high school diploma or General Equivalency Diploma (GED), be unemployed or under employed, reside in the Tribal service area and demonstrate a financial need.
  4. Johnson-O'Malley (JOM): Provide supplemental education opportunities to Native American eligible students, ages three through grade twelve, as follows:
    1. Academic enhancement activities;
    2. Cultural enrichment programs/presentations;
    3. Information on post high school education/career options;
    4. Non-professional tutorial service.
    5. Library Services: Library materials will be made available to Tribal and Community members.
    6. Supplemental Education Programs/Grants: Program operation of supplemental grants or projects at Tribal and school level.
Smith River Rancheria